Bus registering system



June 8, 1937. E. M. HYMANS 2,083,254

BUS REGISTERING SYSTEM Filed July 5, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY;

Patented June a, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT FF-ice amaze; nus nncrs'rnnma srs'rm Edgar M. Hymans, Cincinnati, Ohio Application July 5, 1933, Serial No. 679,015

- there has been no registering system of which I have been able to receive information, which will respond only to motor buses and will not respond to motor vehicles generally as well.

It is the object of my invention to provide for selective automatic time registration for motor buses or other road vehicles, the system, and apparatus being such that the driver of the vehicle whose leaving time is to be recorded, will not only be able to eflect the registration, but will know from a suitable signal that he has done so.

The basic theory of my apparatus, and the principle of my system is to provide for electrical contacts controlled by a treadle or treadles in the traveled highway, and a time registering system operated thereby, with a requirement for an elapsed time between original preparation for and final establishment of the time registering circuit andarrangements whereby a vehicle regularly and normally moving over the highway 30 will disenable the final establishment of the registering circuit by continued movement before said recording device has an opportunity to operate.

In the drawings:- 35 Figure l is a diagram showing the preferred location of parts for a motor vehicle registratio system on a traveled highway.

Figure 2 is a diagram of a combined elapsed time relay switch and breaker switch, with a 40 diagram of portions of a time recording machine. Figure 3 is a diagram of another arrangement for accomplishing my object.

Figure 4 is still another arrangement which is used for registering selectively two different routes 45 of buses, or buses traveling in two directions,

, using the same initial treadle operation.

In Figure 1 I have indicated by the numeral l atraveled highway, with road treadles 2 and 3 so mounted and connected as to close electric cir- 50 cults, as indicated by contacts In and contacts 341.

Located at the side of the roadway or other convenient point, is a pole 4, on which is mountedthe time relay and circuit breaker, and on which may bemounted the time recorder, in a box 5. 55, Within sight of the driver is a light 8, whichis illuminated at the instant the recording takes place, and which stays lighted until the apparatus is deenergized by the passing of the motor vehicle over the second treadle. placed by a bell or other signal, and the recording device may be at a remote point, such as a central office.

The light may be re-' The type of elapsed time relay switch which I 1 illustrate in diagram in Figure 2 is a commercial type ofsuch a switch, and I refer to U. B. Letters Patent No. 1,483,433, as fully describing such a structure and its operation.

Referring to the diagram, the incoming electric current is by wires 1 and 8. The switch includes a solenoid 9, which draws into contact position an armature [0, thereby closing contacts II, II.

A lead wire l2 extends from supply wire 8 to one side of the solenoid. A lead wire l3 extends from the breaker switch to one of the contacts 2a of the first treadle. From the other contact 2a or the treadle a wire I4 extends to the upper contact II. There is a wire l5 from the wire I3 to the other of the contacts ll.

The result of the connections and structure now noted is that when the treadle 2 is depressed by a motor vehicle, the solenoid 9 is energized, drawing over the armature Ill. The current then continues to maintain the solenoid energized, even if the first treadle is instantly released by the motor vehicle moving ahead.

Connected by shunt leads lid with the solenoid is a synchronous motor timing device diagrammatically indicated at I511, which starts into movement as soon as the solenoid is energized, and is maintained in movement through the circuit closing action of the armature 10. The motor or timing device operating through an adjustable, self-resetting mechanical feed rotates a contact establishing member which swings the contact element Ii, so that at the end of the prescribed elapsed time this contact element establishes a contact with a lead wire H (see Fig. 2).

The lead wire I! extends to the time recording device, where it connects with the coil of a solenoid I8 and thence back to the supply wire 8 through lead wires l9 and 20. There is also a sig- 'time, depending on the timing motor, its adjustment, its connections, and its time setting.

around which is a solenoid 2!, which will, when energized, cause the armature to move so as to break the circuit.

The solenoid 24 is connected at one end with the supply wire I, and at the other end with one of the contacts 3a of the treadle by means of a wire 25. The other contact la is connected to the return wire 20 to supply wire I by means of the wire 26.

The result of this structure is that when the second treadle is depressed, the solenoid 24 will be energized, the armature 23 withdrawn, and circuit connections with the time switch disestablished. When this happens, the armature I! of the time switch structure opens, and the circuit is broken to the timing motor. Also, the mechanism for operating the contact member II will return it to original position. Reference to the patent above cited will explain how the timing switch may be constructed in detail, and how the contact member I5 is completely reset to starting position each time the circuit is broken to the timing motor, no matter how far it has rotated. This prevents the recording device being set an as a result of a series of op erations or energizing and de-energizing, without the required wait or elapse of time between passing over the two treadles.

As for the registering mechanism itself, I have indicated a set of time wheels which will be clock-operated at 21. The printing hammer oi the recorder is indicated at 28, mounted on a shaft which has a pinion 29 thereon. The pinion operates a ball clutch pinion I0, which reels a short section of the paper band II, which is supplied for recording of the time imprint. The clutch is set to operate when the printing hammer is pulled back, and not when it is released to make a printing. The solenoid II has as'its armature the hammer operating jump bar 32 of the time recorder, which is arranged so that when the solenoid is energized the lug II on the jump bar contacts with the finger II on the printing hammer shaft and rocks theshaft against the spring 35. The hammer is held thus until the second treadle is depressed, opening the several circuits, which immediately releases the printing hammer and causes it to strike against the paper band and results in an imprint of the time from the time wheels.

I have not made any attempt to show complete mechanisms in the above description, as all are purchasable on the market as units except, perhaps, for the solenoid device for retracting and releasing the printing hammer of the time recorder. Also, any one of a large variety ofspeciflc mechanisms which function as those described will serve my purposes.

It will be apparent from the above that without interference with regular traflic over the highway, the arrangement or system described will permit each motor bus driver to make a time record of leaving a selected registration point on his route and know that it is made. Any other vehicle in normal movement will naturally de-energize the apparatus and reset it unless it should pause for the required time.

Regular trailic over the highway, unless influenced by some unusual circumstance, will effect no re strations.

Referring to Figure 3, I have shown a treadle 50, which may have, if desired, a spring resistance so as to respond only to vehicles of a given weight. This will exclude most oi. the trafllc on the highway to begin with. It is required that the vehicle remain on this treadle until the required time has elapsed,'whereupon it will proceed. If the vehicle stays too short a time on the treadle, the device will be deenergized and nothing will take place on the registering devices, which I have classified as method I--A.

, The supply wire 5| brings current to the terminal ila at the treadle, which, when depressed, makes connection with the terminal 52. The lead 53 extends to one side of the time motor 54. From the other side of the time motor a lead 55 connects with a lead 56 which is connected to the other supply wire 51. When the time motor has completed the movement which consumes the desired time, it will operate the switch 58. The closing of this switch will take current entering through lead 53, passing through the motor, out through the lead 59, through the switch, through the lead ill, to the lead 62 to the registering and signal apparatus. From the apparatus the current comes back through the lead 83 to the supply wire 51. If the treadle is released before the switch 58 is closed, the supply will be cut off, the motor will stop, and the device will reset itself. The time relay in this instance will be the same as in the first case, but without the solenoid which permits the first treadle to return to original position without interrupting the current to the motor.

The form of apparatus shown in Figure 4 is like that shown in the first embodiment, except that the circuit breaker member is omitted. In this form there are two or more treadles which can be used as second treadles, for completing the registration, thus permitting me to arrange that a vehicle after passing the first treadle, can then drive over either one of two (in this instance) second treadles, thereby selecting which of two recording devices or indicators on the same recording device will'make a record.

The first treadle will be as in the first instance, as will the solenoid and the time motor and switch. The second treadles are different, however, as well as the connections. Each of the second treadles Hi. and H is provided with a plunger member I2 of any desired type, which carries two sets of contactors; I have marked the contactors for the first of the second treadles as "A and 10B, and the like Ones for the second treadle as HA and MB. A depression of either treadle will first make contact between two upper terminals and then break contact between two lower terminals.

I have indicated the upper terminals for treadle ill at 13, and the lower terminals at ll. Those of the second treadle are 15 and 16. The line wire 11 is connected to terminal 16, and the lower contactors 10B and 'HB carry the current through to a lead wire 18, there being connection between the two inner terminals H and i6. Current thus reaches the wire is, which extends to one 01' the terminals of the first treadle, and also to the terminal 80, which is arranged to be contacted by the armature 8! of the solenoid 82. The other terminal at the treadle connects to the wire 83, which is connected to the terminal II, the other terminal contacted by the solenoid armature. This terminal is connected to the solenoid by the wire 85, and the solenoid is connected directly to the other line wire 8%.

Accordingly, when the first treadle is depressed the solenoid is actuated, and the solenoid closes; whereupon the vehicle can leave the first treadle,

waiting, however, until the timing motor, as in Thus, when the time has elapsed and the parts are arranged for making a record, this first light I will indicate to the bus driver that he may proceed. In doing this he will select which of the second treadles he will pass over. For example, the first of the two second treadles may be directly ahead of the first treadle, and the second may be located on a cross street. In'this way a bus line which turns a corner at the recording station may make a record, and one which does not turn this corner may also make a record. Also, two second treadles may be used side by side, to record two routes at that location traveling in the identical direction, or there may be a first treadle in the middle of a street, and second treadles at the sides of the street, but in opposite directions from the first treadle, thereby permit-' ting separate registration of buses going in opposite directions.

When the bus passes over the selected second treadle, it brings about a connecting of the upper terminals 13 or 16, as the case may be. If the former, then current passes from the lead 90,

through terminals 13 and the connector between them, and by a wire 93 to an indicator or registering device 94 and a signal light 95, and thence out to the line 83. If the treadle is depressed the current passes through a wire 96, to the other indicator or registering device 91 and signal light 98, and thence to the line 86.

The selected registration and the signal that it has been accomplished is done instantaneously, and the treadle plungers, as they descend, act to move the contactors for the two lower sets of terminals out of circuit closing position. This cuts ofi the supply to the apparatus from the line wire 11, and theentire switch mechanism is I deenergized, and the solenoid'opens.

If a vehicle passes over the first treadle and then, without waiting, passes over one of the second treadles, it will result in cutting off current from the apparatus and will reset it without any recording.

This last noted modification employs the double contactor switch mechanism on the second treadle for deenergizing the apparatus, and also for connecting up the recording instrumentalities. It may be used with only one second treadle instead of with two or more second treadles, as described-above, or instead of the circuit breaker type of treadle described in Figure 1.

By illustrating the two modifications of my preferred embodiment, I do not wish thereby to exclude other modifications, as there are many which could be devised according to the principles hitherto set forth, and the noveltyinherent in which is set forth in my claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. In a system for recording time for vehicles on a traveled highway, the combination of a circuit closing means in the highway adapted to be actuated by a vehicle on the highway, a time switch set in operation in response to closure of said circuit closing means and arranged to close a second circuit at the end of a predetermined time, a time recording device having impression means requiring the closing of said second circuit and the opening of the same for its actuation, and means in the highway beyond the first circuit closing means in the direction of travel of the vehicle, and actuable by the vehicle, for opening said second circuit.

2. A system for recording time for vehicles on a traveled highway comprising a first circuit hav-' ing a holding circuit and a second circuit, said first circuit actuating a time switch which closes said second circuit, said second circuit containing motive means for a time recording device which requires the successive closing and opening of said circuit for actuation, and means located along the highway for closing said first circuit along the highway in the direction of travel of a vehicle from said first means for opening said second and said first circuit, both said first and second means being actuable by a vehicle traveling on the highway.

3. In a system for recording time for vehicles .on a traveled highway, the combination of circuit closing means in the highway controlling a circuit and actuable by a vehicle moving along the highway, a time switch within said circuit controlled by said circuit closing means and arranged to close a second circuit, a time recording device having marking means requiring closing said second circuit and opening the same for its actuation, and means actuable by further movement of the vehicle along the highway a given distance for opening both said first and second circuits.

4. A system for recording time for vehicles on a traveled highway comprising 1st and 2nd circuit-closing means located successively along said highway, a circuit, a time switch for closing said circuit, another circuit made in response to operation of said first circuit-closing means for oper ating said time switch, a time recorded impression means operative in response to a successive make and break of said first-mentioned circuit, means responsive to said second circuit closing means for opening said first-mentioned circuit and said other circuit.

EDGAR M. mass.

. and holding circuit'and a second means located 

